199 Constructing Contemporary Periodical and Occasional Rituals Mare Kõiva Department of Folkloristics, Estonian Literary Musem; Center of Excellence in Estonian Studies mare@folklore.ee This paper investigates and compares two kinds of contemporary rituals: 1) the native (pagan, new spiritual movements) periodical rituals performed around equinoxes and solstices, and 2) occasional rituals performed by masters of new rituals. The aim of the paper is to re-evaluate and deconstruct these rituals using Hobsbawm and Ranger’s concept of invented tradition (1983) and studies of new religiosity/spirituality. The structure of ritual, text and presenta- tion settings of four ritual masters of different world views are highlighted, aimed at mapping the similarities and the differences between these religious and spiritual phenomena. Part of the rituals under investigation were dedicated primarily to solstices and astro- nomical bodies, or their text refected interconnections of celestial bodies and human culture. Key words: incantation, new spiritual movement, prayer, ritual Introduction The article continues observation on microscripts of new rituals celebrating equinoxes and occasional rituals. One of the common denominators selected for this article is the making of verbal con- nection between the ritual and astronomic phenomena. Today, ap- peals addressing the Sun, the Moon and other astronomical bodies and phenomena form an indelible part of new religious and cultural rituals. At the beginning of 20th century, verbal charming was used for medical purposes, magical enhancement of household effcacy (intended to bring about economic success, especially with cattle keeping and agriculture) or to increase wealth. The core of a typical ritual consisted of a prayer/appeal, incantation or short formula of verbal magic addressing the sun or the moon. Astral bodies other than the sun and the moon were addressed less frequently and usu- ally by the common denominator täht ‘star’. The invariant messages in rituals addressing the astronomical bodies pertained to their status and attributed powers. The belief system based on analogy magic related lunar phases with respectively growing (waxing) and https://doi.org/10.7592/Sator.2017.18.10